On May 20, 2016, at the Partnership for a Healthier America Summit, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the FDA’s final rule to update the Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) and serving sizes for all packaged foods in the U.S. Updating the NFP is a fundamental component of the Obama administration's nutrition agenda, and these changes will go into effect in May 2018.

Major updates to the NFP include:

• Larger and bolder calorie declarations
• A separate line for added sugars
• A daily value for added sugars
• A decrease in the daily recommended value of sodium to 2300 mg
• Removal of “calories from fat” declaration
• An adjustment in serving sizes to reflect what shoppers are likely to consume
• Per pack and per serving nutrition information on intermediate packages
• Limited nutrition facts formats for small packaged food items

Mars congratulates the Administration for its efforts to advance public health and nutrition by promoting the most recent nutrition science and improving consumer understanding of critical nutrition information. As supporters of the FDA’s proposed added sugars labeling and daily value recommendation, we are delighted that these changes have been incorporated into the final NFP rule.

From Snickers to M&M’s to Skittles to Doublemint gum, the beloved chocolate and confectionery treats we make contain sugar -- an ingredient that contributes essential sweetness to the taste and provides important product functionality, and which we believe can be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet and active lifestyle. Making nutrition guidance clear to consumers is the right thing to do, and we applaud the FDA for proposing transparent labeling. We are closely reviewing the final rules -- especially how they impact small pack items such as gum and mints -- and we look forward to partnering with the Administration and others in the food industry to ensure successful implementation in the coming years.

The most significant proposed changes to the NFP that will impact Mars products are the addition of an added sugars declaration and a daily value for added sugars. Last year, Mars set itself apart from much of the food industry by publically announcing full support for the inclusion of an ‘added sugars’ declaration and the daily value for added sugar. We believe taking a stance helps to progress transparency and consumer understanding of critical nutrition information.

For more information on the changes to the Nutrition Facts label, please see here